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Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of Dhaka University student Shahriar Alam Sammo.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) announced the development on Wednesday.
However, the DMP did not disclose the names of the detainees or where they were arrested, bdnews24.com report.
Shahriar, a student of the university’s Institute of Education and Research, was fatally stabbed on Tuesday night while riding a motorbike through Suhrawardy Udyan near the campus. He was a resident student from the 2018-19 session at the Sir AF Rahman Hall.
The 25-year-old was the literary and publications secretary of the BNP’s student wing Chhatra Dal at the university, according to his friends.
Shahriar's friends rescued him in a bleeding state and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around midnight, where doctors declared him dead.
DMCH police camp chief Md Faruk said Shahriar’s right leg bore a wound from a sharp weapon, and his body was kept at the morgue for autopsy.
Following the incident, Shahbagh Police Station chief Khalid Mansur said that an investigation was under way.
TEACHERS' GROUP DEMANDS JUSTICE
In the wake of the incident, the Sada Dal, a platform of pro-BNP teachers at Dhaka University, demanded swift justice for those involved in the murder.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group claimed that a series of killings had taken place across Bangladesh since the fall of the "fascist" Awami League government on Aug 5 last year. According to the statement, BNP and nationalist activists have been especially targeted in these incidents.
The teachers expressed disappointment that, despite a shift in the political landscape, there has been no visible progress in the investigation or prosecution of these crimes. “There was hope that the changed circumstances would lead to proper investigations and justice, but so far, no such progress can be seen,” the statement read.
The statement further alleged that the killing of a university student on the DU campus may be part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise the university and the country, especially at a time when citizens nationwide are calling for a national election.
“A culture of impunity only encourages further crime and wrongdoing. In the past, similar incidents occurred without any exemplary punishment, leading to repeated killings that continue to alarm and concern us.”
In a separate statement, the university’s Public Relations Office said the administration is working to ensure a fair and thorough investigation into the incident. A case is being prepared for filing at Shahbagh Police Station on behalf of the university administration. The university also pledged full legal and procedural support to the victim’s family.
In protest of the killing, multiple student demonstrations were held on campus late into the night.